Abstract: A cabin interior assembly for an aircraft is disclosed, the aircraft having a primary airframe structure for supporting vibrating components. The cabin interior assembly includes a shell structure located within the airframe structure. The shell structure is formed from a plurality of axially spaced bell frames. Each bell frame is unitary and extends from one side of the cabin interior, across the ceiling and down to the other side. At least two longitudinal support members are attached to and extend between each adjacent pair of the bell frames. A plurality of panels are mounted to the shell structure with the edges of adjacent panels forming a butt joint as they overlap the bell frames and longitudinal support members. Isolators are disposed between the shell structure and the airframe structure. Each isolator includes a first component mounted to a lower end of a bell frame and a second component mounted on the airframe structure.

Abstract: An outer cowl panel (24) for an engine nacelle (20). The outer cowl panel (24) includes integral track fairings (30) at aft side edges of the outer cowl panel. The outer cowl panel (24) also includes a chamfered leading edge having outer face sheets (88A, 88B) that extend over the leading edges of a stepped stack of prepreg sheets (88C, 88D, 88E, 88F).

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in an apparatus and method for generating fatigue spectra on a chosen aircraft for which a Finite element model is available and for which a library of external load summations at key interfaces and key fundamental parameters are available from an aeroelastic analysis. The fatigue spectra generation system of the present invention represents a profile of stresses endured by the aircraft due to numerous events, such as ground and maneuver events, occurring during the life of the aircraft. The system calculates a total stress based on load and unit conditions associated with outside events by factoring up the unit conditions to derive individual stresses for each event and by summing all unit conditions.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a low observable aerodynamic control system for integrated use with an aircraft fuselage. The control system is provided with a shadow structure having an inner sloping region and an outer sloping region. The inner sloping region defines a shadow structure concavity. The outer sloping region is attachable to the aircraft fuselage. The control system is further provided with an aerodynamic control device having a body portion and a base portion. The base portion is disposed within the shadow structure concavity. The body portion extends from the base portion beyond the shadow structure concavity.

Abstract: An interface seal (52) for an aircraft (50) has a first rigid structural beam (60) attached to a first portion of the aircraft (50). A second rigid structural beam (64) is attached to a second portion of the aircraft (50). An elastomer skin (62) is connected to the first rigid structural beam (60) and attached to the second rigid structural beam (64).

Abstract: Aircraft for carrying passengers and/or freight based on a known aircraft design with a fuselage having a nose section, center section, and tail section and with airfoils mounted on the center section near the center of gravity of the aircraft and calculated for the required lift and with vertical and/or horizontal stabilizers located in the vicinity of the tail section for creating stabilizing and steering moments, with the fuselage of said aircraft being stretched by means of an additional section inserted between the nose section and the center of gravity of the aircraft model in order to increase the carrying capacity of the aircraft based on predetermined known aircraft designs, and with the additional section, as viewed in the direction of flight, being equipped forward of the airfoils of the aircraft model that serve as the main airfoils with airfoils that serve as additional airfoils, with previously designed and calculated airfoils of suitable size from a known aircraft design being used as the addit

Abstract: A composite shell which can be used, in particular, in the manufacture of bodies or compartments of flying vehicles used in rocketry or aeronautics, comprises a load-bearing framework formed of intersecting stiffening ribs, and an outer load-bearing shell. Box-shaped cover plates are secured with glue an the cross nodes of the stiffening ribs from the internal surface of the framework, and thin-walled plates are secured at the outer surface of the shell by threaded rod elements that pass through the shell and framework and are connected to the box-shaped cover plates. In one embodiment, the composite shell is formed of a plurality of panels connected together at their abutting edges.

Abstract: An aircraft having a reduced-load wing structure is provided with a controllable canard stabilizer (5G, 5D) at the front end of the aircraft and a controller that controls the canard stabilizer. The controller generates a turn command corresponding to an increase in the lift of the canard stabilizer when, simultaneously, the turn command applied by the pilot to the elevational control surfaces (6G, 6D) exceeds a threshold and the measurement of the vertical acceleration of the aircraft exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: A supersonic ground vehicle having a housing configured from a pair of back-to-back symmetric housing components, and a shock-reflecting surface which extends in the direction of travel of the housing and which aerodynamically interacts with the housing to form a supersonic biplane, thereby substantially reducing aerodynamic pressure drag.

Abstract: An aircraft having a central fuselage, a first side fuselage positioned immediately adjacent to and independent of the central fuselage, and a second side fuselage positioned immediately adjacent to and independent of the central fuselage located on the opposite side of the first side fuselage is disclosed. All of the engines powering the aircraft are located either on the wings outboard of the side fuselages or in the rear of the aircraft aft of the wings. Further, the aircraft may include wings positioned laterally from both side fuselages which may be partially retracted during flight.

Abstract: The invention relates to a ground-effect vehicle for the rapid transport of people and/or freight, with at least one body, a drive train and ground-effect bearing surfaces, a guidance system for directional control and a drive system on the body and/or bearing surface in the form of propeller or fan drives. The aim of the invention is to provide a ground-effect vehicle which is inexpensive to build, avoids the prior art drawbacks in particular and is especially economical to operate. According to the invention, the ground-effect vehicle consists of at least one aircraft fuselage (1), the ground-effect bearing surfaces (2) are secured directly at least to parts of the existing bearing surfaces (6) of the aircraft or at least on the existing spars (12) surrounding them or secured thereto beneath the existing bearing surfaces (6) and that the drive system (4; 15; 16) has means which increase the power and/or reduce friction in the take-off and landing phases.

Abstract: An airplane fuselage panel including a sheet having peripheral edges routed on routing surfaces, while the sheet is held immobile on a fixture, using a routing end effector carried by a precision computer controlled robot that is directed to the routing surfaces using a digital dataset taken directly from digital engineering part definition records. The sheet has coordination holes drilled while on the fixture using a drilling end effector carried by the precision computer controlled robot that is directed to drilling locations using the digital dataset taken directly from the digital engineering part definition records to accurately locate the hole locations relative to the peripheral edges.

Abstract: A segmented rotatable beam provides a spar or rib in an aircraft wing. The rotatable beam has a variable stiffness dependent upon the radial orientation of the rotatable beam about a longitudinal axis of the beam. The segmented rotatable beam comprises a plurality of tubular segments that are pivotly interconnected by connecting beam links that are rotatably mounted in bearings disposed along the longitudinal axis of the beam.

Abstract: An aircraft (50) with a variable cargo bay (52) includes a frame (60). A pair of fairing assemblies (54, 56) is coupled to the frame (60). Each of the pair of fairing assemblies (54, 56) has a ramp (100) connected to the frame (60) by a front sliding pivoting mechanism (106). A door assembly (58) is between the pair of fairing assemblies (54, 56) and is coupled to the frame (60).

Abstract: One of the routines required for maintaining the air worthiness of an aircraft is the frequent inspection of rudder and elevator cables. Given traditional aircraft design, for example the Cessna "335" and "340" aircraft, access to these cables has been achievable only by removing the tail-cone from the body of the aircraft. Composed as they have been of aluminum or ABS plastic, these tail-cones have been prone to breakage. Their replacements, also of ABS plastic, have consisted of two large halves bolted together, one of which must still be removed from the aircraft to allow cable inspection and for which breakage is still a concern. The invented generally one-piece tail-cone molded of fiberglass constitutes a durable replacement for a broken cone. Equipping the new fiberglass cone with relatively small doors to be used for cable inspection allows the tail-cone to remain in place on the aircraft during its conceivable considerably lengthened life span.

Abstract: An element made of a reinforced low density heat protective material including an elastomer and/or a silicon resin matrix loaded with organic and/or inorganic components, wherein the reinforcement is formed of glass or ceramic thread sections or the like or organic materials fitted in the mass of the matrix along directions approximately orthogonal to at least one of the faces of the element and being flush, at least at one of their extremities, with at least one of the faces. The method for obtaining this element, includes, after molding to the general dimensions and shapes of the element with the aid of a loaded silicon matrix, placing the thread sections by stitching.

Abstract: A single piece frame (12) for a spacecraft, the frame manufactured as fiber composite sheets (40, 42) overlaying a core (38). The core (38) is preferably made of aluminum and formed with a honeycomb cross-section. The frame (12) provides a mounting structure to which payload, spacecraft equipment, and boost vehicle are attached. The frame (12) can be reinforced locally by varying the core density or the wall thickness so as to resist concentrated or localized loads. The orientation of the fiber in the composite sheets may also be varied so as to strengthen the frame in a desired location.

Abstract: A hybrid metal webbed composite beam includes a metal I or T web section and a composite cap formed over and adhered to the I or T web. The beam incorporates the advantages of metals and composites in modern aerospace construction allowing thermoplastic welding of the beam to skins while having the strength of metal.

Abstract: A structural component, especially a substantially hollow aircraft structural component such as a wing or tail section having an upper chord or shell and a lower chord or shell interconnected to form a substantially hollow bending beam in use, is so constructed that the chord or shell which is primarily taking up tension stress is made of fiber reinforced composite material, while the other chord or shell which primarily takes up compression stress is made of metal. In an aircraft wing the upper wing shell will be made of metal and the lower shell will be made of fiber reinforced composite material. However, the tail plane and elevator assembly will have an upper shell made of fiber reinforced composite material while the lower shell will be made of metal.

Abstract: A composite laminate, an aircraft skin panel, an airfoil, an aircraft and a method of manufacturing such a composite laminate are provided. The laminate includes at least three layers, namely a first layer of fiber reinforced composite material, a second layer usually metallic and usually forming a surface of the component and a third layer of impact energy-absorbing material interposed between the first and second layers, wherein the second and third layers protect the first layer from impact damage. The method of manufacture involves placing all three layers, including a said third layer of foaming adhesive, in a closed mould and foaming the adhesive to form a component to shape.

Abstract: A composite structure and method for constructing same for use in fabricating the framework of a spacecraft is disclosed. The structure is cut from flat sheets of composite laminate materials, and then assembled. The use of tenons and mortises provides for self-fixturing and adhesive bonding of the structural components.

Abstract: Acoustic and thermal insulation for an enclosed space, particularly the passenger cabin of an aircraft, comprises insulating elements lining the interior wall. Each element is enclosed in a bag of thin flexible moisture impervious material and each bag is provided with an aperture at a lowermost point at which moisture condensed from humid air within the air will pool under gravity. A duct connects each element interior to the exterior of the enclosed space, so that air pressure in the bag can be equalised with that in the space without using air from the enclosed space. Any condensate in the bag can flow to the exterior, and only air from the exterior can enter the bag interior. The elements are formed in appropriate shapes, such as rectangular to fit in the cells formed between the frames and stringers of an aircraft fuselage, or so as to be wrapped around the frames.

Abstract: A stiff elongated hollow structural member has a double-walled structure in the shape of a tube made of an interior tube which has an annular cross-section and an exterior tube which has a different cross-section, in a concentric arrangement. The interior and exterior tubes bound a hollow space filled with an incompressible liquid. Responsive to pressure increases in the liquid, the exterior tube in the elastic material range is bendingly deformable in the direction of a ring-circular cross-section or to a ring-circular cross-section. This hollow structural member can be used as an adjustable stiffness torsion member such as a vehicle steering shaft. Another disclosed adjustable stiffness hollow structural member includes a flat plate facing a corrugated plate to form a hollow space for the incompressible liquid. Increases in pressure of the liquid forces the corrugated member to a more flattened configuration.

Abstract: The invention discloses a deployable, inflatable aerodynamic control structure for aerospace vehicles which has a desired noncircular or noncylindrical cross-section and fabrication methods therefor. In a preferred embodiment, the control structure is configured as an inflatable airfoil and includes a flexible skin and a plurality of internally disposed airfoil-shaped bulkheads or integral rib members that are arranged, spaced apart, in cross-wise fashion along the axial length of the airfoil shaped control structure. The flexible skin is fabricated as a lay up, in ordered sequence, of plural layers of elastomeric rubber material and plural ply layers of resin-impregnated yarns or fabric. The result is a fiber-reinforced pressure membrane that is flexible and compactly foldable.

Abstract: The present invention provides a desired design approach for retuning a rotorcraft airframe by utilizing resilient connections between major airframe components. In the preferred embodiment, the design employs resilient material, preferably elastomeric material, in the mounting system between the vertical tail and the tailboom of a helicopter as a method of providing dynamic detuning of the tailboom torsion/lateral mode. Other possibilities include similarly mounting the horizontal stabilator and the wing onto the airframe. Using elastomeric or similar devices to soft mount the vertical tail of a helicopter on the tailboom can efficiently and effectively alter the natural frequencies of the entire aircraft. By choosing the spring constant of this connection, the designer can place fuselage frequency at a desired value.

Abstract: Acoustic and thermal insulation for an enclosed space, particularly the passenger cabin of an aircraft, comprises insulating elements lining the interior wall. Each element is enclosed in a bag of thin flexible moisture impervious material and each bag is provided with an aperture at a lowermost point at which moisture condensed from humid air within the bag will pool under gravity. A duct connects each element interior to the exterior of the enclosed space, so that air pressure in the bag can be equalised with that in the space without using air from the enclosed space. Any condensate in the bag can flow to the exterior, and only air from the exterior can enter the bag interior. The elements are formed in appropriate shapes, such as rectangular to fit in the cells formed between the frames and stringers of an aircraft fuselage, or so as to be wrapped around the frames.

Abstract: Apparatus, method and an arrangement for rigging an aircraft wing flap are provided. The apparatus (27) is for measuring horizontal and vertical positioning of a trailing edge (21) of a wing flap (14, 15) relative to a flap track beam (6) upon which the flap (14, 15) is mount for deployment movement. The flap track beam (6) is affixed to a wing main torsion box (1) behind which the flap (14, 15) is deployable. The apparatus (27) engages the trailing edge (21) of the flap (14, 15) to allow accurate horizontal and vertical positional measurement of the trailing edge.

Abstract: The invention relates to a helicopter fuselage of the type including a central structure to which are linked a front structure, a rear structure and a landing gear, and which supports a transmission gearbox, a main rotor and at least one engine (50), and of the type in which the central structure includes a skeleton (16) fitted with covering elements which define the external shape of the fuselage.According to the invention, the skeleton (16) of the central structure exhibits substantially the shape of a regular hexahedron consisting of skeleton panels (28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) assembled together.The invention finds an application especially for producing light helicopters.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing an aircraft thermal protection system for hypersonic cruise and space launch vehicles. A flexible outer skin formed from a metal super alloy is designed to flex and accommodate thermal growth in the vehicle structure. The flexible super alloy skin is made from a plurality of hexagonal shaped cups which are welded together at the edges in a honeycomb type of array with thermal expansion gaps provided between the outermost surfaces of the hexagonal cups. Gap covers extend across the thermal expansion gaps to reduce aerodynamic drag. The flexible outer skin extends over hexagonal shaped, high temperature ceramic blocks, which provide both an insulation layer and support for the outer skin. The flexible outer skin distributes airloads across various ones of the rigid ceramic blocks.

Abstract: An aircraft structure, such as a wing, is made of fiber composite material and includes a shell structural component also made of fiber composite material. The structural component has at least one access opening closeable by a cover. The shell structural component has a first area containing the access opening closeable by the cover. In the longitudinal direction of the wing the first area is predominantly flexible while a second area surrounding the first area is predominantly stiff, whereby these areas take up different longitudinally effective forces, relative to the length of the wing. Both areas are capable of transferring shear forces in the same manner.

Abstract: Internal conformal antenna arrays are mounted in aircraft aerosurface and fuselage primary and secondary load carrying structures. These radar transmitting structures are dual role structures capable of efficiently transmitting and receiving radio frequency energy, and efficiently carrying and transmitting aerodynamic loads. The internal conformal antenna arrays are mounted in the leading and trailing edges of the wings, in the empennage, and behind the outer shell of the fuselage. In order to achieve radar transmitting structures capable of transmitting radio frequency energy and meeting primary aerodynamic load carrying requirements, ceramic, quartz, or silicone-carbide fiber-reinforced organic matrix composites are combined with advanced structures technology.

Abstract: A method of converting an existing helicopter airframe, such as a UH-1H/V or a UH-1D, to a special purpose use such as, for example, a gunship or a firefighter, and a helicopter constructed thereby. The process takes a conventional, multi-passenger, helicopter from a primary design use to a second, un-anticipated use after the primary function has ceased. The invention converts the helicopter from a dual-piloted, multi-passenger aircraft to a helicopter gunship flown by a single operator/pilot. Modifying the aircraft involves stripping the entire shell from the basic boxlike airframe, removing all of the equipment and accessories, and re-assembling the aircraft with a slimmer profile, reduced weight, and improved performance.

Abstract: A thrust vectoring panel which is a hybrid ceramic/ceramic composite consisting of three layers of lightweight materials, the anisotropic properties of which are manipulated such that the properties of the materials, i.e., the coefficient of thermal expansion, the strain energy release rate, and the tensile and flexure modules, either match or gradually transition from material to material. The three layers include a face layer which is of a high temperature capable material that can withstand temperatures within a range of 2300.degree.-25000.degree. F. for an extended period of time and a temperature as high as 28000.degree. F. for a short period of time. The middle layer simply is an insulating layer for providing adequate thermal insulation for the activator mechanism for the thrust panel. The third layer is a skeletal structure or layer which is of a lightweight material having sufficient strength to support all the integral interfaces, such as the activator mounts and the like.

Abstract: A composite wing for an aircraft comprises a plurality of elongated hollow one-piece composite spars arranged in juxtaposed generally parallel relation in an array defining an airfoil with a composite skin disposed about said assembled spars.

Abstract: A pultruded shaped composite material of carbon fiber having a diameter not greater than 0.001 inch aligned linearly with a degree of waviness defined by an average amplitude to length (A/L) ratio of less than 0.9 percent, the matrix formed around the fiber and solidified or cured into a rigid form that will not melt during subsequent processing steps to prevent an increase in waviness during subsequent processing steps. The matrix material consists essentially of a resin present in the range of about 10 to 50 percent by volume of the composite material. The A /L ratio is determined by measuring the distribution of angularity found in the aligned carbon fibers in a selective cross section cut at five degrees to the fiber plane, wherein the standard deviation for a 300 sample angularity measurement is not greater than 0.88 degrees.

Abstract: A method for reducing the length of the forebody strakes along a fighter airplane involves modifying the outer contours of intermediate frame members. The original skin panels are removed. A strake contour portion on each intermediate frame member is then cut away. A replacement outer support will be secured to each intermediate frame member to fill the gap left by the cutting away of the strake contour portion. The replacement outer edge support is secured by fasteners and new skin panels then secured in place.

Abstract: A mounting bracket for holding a heat insulating mat in an aircraft cabin has a lower and an upper section configured to conform to a trough-shaped flange of a stringer secured to the fuselage. A holding pin forms part of the lower section and can be connected to the insulating mat. The two sections are onto the stringer (2) as a clip. For this purpose the lower section (4) fits with a trough (10) around the stringer (2) and the upper section (5) formed with a snap-in locking device including an expander pin (9) is arranged with a barrel portion in the trough of the stringer. The upper section (5) has a plate (14) tangentially merging into the barrel portion and extending outside the stringer (2) for the snap-in action.

Abstract: An aircraft has the space between the bulkheads on the interior of the aircraft filled with a polyisocyanurate solid closed cell foam material. The foam is applied so that it adheres to both the inside of the aluminum skin of the fuselage and the facing sides of the bulkheads. The foam may be applied by either spraying or by pouring the resin with appropriate catalyst materials to cause the resin to form the foam. The foam acts to significantly strengthen the aircraft structure and thereby increase the time of usage of aging aircraft before the catastrophic failure of the adherence of the skin to the bulkheads.

Abstract: A one-piece composite material torque box for the thrust reverser assembly of a jet engine. The torque box is made up of three composite material subassemblies, a generally planar flange subassembly, a tubular torque tube subassembly, and a cap subassembly. The flange subassembly is configured to transmit tension loads from the cascades of the reverser assembly to the V-blade ring which engages the engine, and the fibers in the composite material are aligned with these load paths. The torque tube subassembly is mounted to the flange subassembly, and is configured to transmit torsion loads from the actuators of the reverser assembly to the upper and lower latch members of the engine assembly; the fibers of the composite material therein are aligned at 45.degree. angles to the tube axis, so as to be in alignment with paths of the tension/compression components of the torsion loads.

Abstract: An insulative panel is attachable to a structure to thermally protect the structure. The insulative panel includes a piece of a compliant, porous material. A support base is bonded to a first side of the piece of porous material, the support base including means for attaching the support base to the structure that is to be protected. A skin made of a thermally resistant material is bonded to a second side of the piece of porous material. Preferably, the porous material is a piece of porous ceramic foam having an apparent density of less than about 25 percent, the support base is a piece of nonporous ceramic material, and the skin is a ceramic thermal barrier coating that is plasma sprayed onto the porous material.

Abstract: A heat source, may be on a high speed vehicle, may be cooled by transferring thermal energy from the heat source to an endothermic fuel decomposition catalyst in order to heat the catalyst to a temperature sufficient to crack or dissociate at least a portion of an endothermic fuel stream. The endothermic fuel is selected from the group consisting of normal paraffinic hydrocarbons and methanol. The heated endothermic fuel decomposition catalyst is contacted with the endothermic fuel stream at a liquid hourly space velocity of at least about 10 hr.sup.-1 to cause the endothermic fuel stream to crack or dissociate into a reaction product stream.

Abstract: An integral structure and thermal protection system, particularly designed for hypersonic aerospace vehicles, is comprised of a hard external shell or outer face sheet formed of a ceramic matrix, such as silicon carbide, and a rigid insulator core in the form of foamed ceramic, such as silicon carbide, the outer face sheet being integrally connected to the insulator core. A prime strucutral material, such as an aircraft structural member, is integrally connected as by bonding or brazing to the insulator core, the core being attached to the prime structural material or aircraft structural member by an inner face sheet forming the outer skin of such structural member.

Abstract: An ablative foam composition is formed of approximately 150 to 250 parts by weight polymeric isocyanate having an isocyanate functionality of 2.6 to 3.2; approximately 15 to 30 parts by weight reactive flame retardant having a hydroxyl number range from 200-260; approximately 10 to 40 parts by weight non-reactive flame retardant; approximately 10 to 40 parts by weight nonhydrolyzable silicone copolymer having a hydroxyl number range from 75-205; and approximately 3 to 16 parts by weight amine initiated polyether resin having an isocyanate functionality greater than or equal to 3.0 and a hydroxyl number range from 400-800.

Abstract: A near supersonic aircraft comprising an airframe that maintains subsonic air flow thereover within the flight envelope of the aircraft. The airframe comprises a right circular conical forward fuselage section, a right circular cylindrical intermediate fuselage section defining a passenger compartment, and an aft fuselage section having a generally circular frontal cross section and a generally rectangular aft cross section.A submerged semi circular air inlet is disposed between the intermediate and aft fuselage sections at the top thereof. A pair of forwardly swept wings are joined to the fuselage adjacent the circumferentially spaced ends of the air inlet whereby air flow over the fuselage and along the leading edges of the wings is directed into the air inlets at subsonic speeds and at all attitudes of the aircraft within its flight envelope.

Abstract: A system for pressurizing an electronic enclosure, such as for example a waveguide located in an unheated, unpressurized region of an aircraft, uses air from a pressurized, heated region of the aircraft and a chiller comprised of a lightweight, thermally conducting body thermally coupled to the atmosphere outside the aircraft.

Abstract: A crushable, composite, columnar, self-stabilized structure for absorbing energy by progressively reacting compression forces along the axis of the structure. The compression failure initiates at one end and progresses to the second end of the stiffener in a controlled fashion in that at any cross section, the local compression strength at that point is less than the general stability strength of the remaining structure.

Abstract: In an aircraft having a cylindrical or tapered pressurized fuselage, an internal bulkhead includes a central calotte shaped part of particular thickness and made of a fiber-mesh, a woven or a fleece-like reinforcement of a particular radius of curvature and preferably made of Kevlar: a possibly thicker edged portion of, preferably, carbon fiber-reinforced material, which possibly matches any taper of the fuselage, and a transition from the calotte shaped part to the edge having a radius of curvature smaller than the particular radius of the calotte shaped partition.

Abstract: A single-size interior cabin sidewall panel fits aircraft of different sizes. The panel is fabricated so that in its "relaxed" state it has a curved configuration which requires the panel to be unbended to fit in the aircraft. Larger aircraft require more unbending of the panel than do smaller aircraft. This results in a uniform pressure across the panel which promotes a close fit between adjacent overlapping sidewall panels.

Abstract: In order to obtain in a cockpit for a helicopter which is provided with a support frame work consisting of hollow profile parts dimensionally stiffly connected to each other and defining the door and window cutouts of the cockpit and an outer covering and is usually fabricated for cost reasons in view of the relatively limited lot sizes of aircraft in differential design to obtain not only a more weight-saving but also overall a more cost effective cockpit design, at least the hollow profile parts extending around the cockpit cutouts are made as an integral, spatially closed support profile structure such that they are formed and hardened together from composite fiber material or superplastically deformable metal in a forming tool having the forming surfaces with the profile shape of the hollow profile parts around to the cockpit cutouts.

Abstract: There is provided a passenger carrying aircraft having a cabin and outer walls. The aircraft includes a safety net located between the cabin and the outer walls. The safety net covers substantially the entire fuselage. If a part of the outer walls fails while the cabin is pressurized and detaches from the fuselage, the safety net will restrain the passengers from being sucked out of the cabin.